Fix my RSM 250 or build a 29 with sump

[MattYandi]

Hello everyone! My last post in December was about getting a RSM 250 for my first saltwater tank. I ended up getting the tank for $200! I got this tank to get my feet wet with saltwater (pun intended) and make sure I like saltwater side of aquarium keeping before diving off of the deep end and getting a larger tank. Finally finding some time after moving to a different house, I started to dig into the tank and see what needed to be fixed/upgraded.

The RSM 250 Issues:

• The hood. None of the T5 lights or fans in the hood are working. I'm not sure if maybe the bulbs are bad or if the ballasts are shot. I was thinking of replacing the lights with something like the Viparspectra 300w LED light and fitting it into the hood. If needed, I would also want to replace the fans to help keep things cooler. This would end up costing around $200 for the lights and maybe $30 for replacement fans.
• The skimmer. The protein skimmer pump does not work. I figured i could replace this with the Aquamaxx Ws-1 for almost the same price as buying a new pump for the RSM 250 skimmer. I have heard of some complaints about the stock RSM 250 skimmer so I figured it also would not hurt to upgrade for an extra $30. This would cost around $140
• One of the return pumps. It is missing one of the return pumps which I noticed when I bought the tank. I was thinking of buying a Sicce Syncra 2.0 to replace the missing pump. This would add an additional $80 to the cost.
• The heater. The heater does not work, but i have heaters from my freshwater tanks I can use.
• AIO vs sump. When I got the tank, I thought that the AIO system would be good for a beginner saltwater tank. After cleaning the tank, i was thinking about how difficult this could be to maintain on a regular basis. I like my freshwater sumps that I have and how much easier they seem to clean than the AIO system. I like how you have room to move around and how you can customize them to fit whatever you like. I also like how i can just swap out filter socks in a sump rather than try to remove and clean the foam filters out.

This tank does seem like a really good first tank other than the expense of the repairs, but after cleaning the tank and working with it a little, i am wondering if i should sell the RSM 250 and try to make my money back. If I take this route, I would most likely use one of my extra 29g and set up a mini reef to get some experience in saltwater before buying/making a bigger tank. I also already have another 10g,20g,or 29g I could use as a sump. I am also open to the idea of buying a cheap, used 40b to use as a display tank.

How hard is it to maintain an AIO aquarium? it seems like it would get tiring trying to reach up and over the tank to do maintenance.

I guess my main question is what would you do?

• Fix the RSM 250 and most likely end up upgrading to a larger display with a sump in a couple years.
• Sell the RSM 250 and set up a 29g reef using the tanks i already have. (i would still have to buy a skimmer, lights, and a return pump)
• Sell the RSM 250 and buy a 40b as a display tank. (i would still have to buy a skimmer, lights, and a return pump)

 

[susan ingram]

I always like going big or going home. The philosophy I’ve heard is to put your investment in a larger tank first, for many reasons.. stability being easier from smaller size tanks. With that said I would a)recommend the 5 minute guide to saltwater a series by Bulk Reef Supply on YouTube. They go through this very question
b) bump this to see what other more experienced people say

and btw.. welcome back!!!

 

[mike550]

So it sounds like “all in” your cost is about $650 to get the 250 running. Still seems like a fairly inexpensive way to start with a nice sized tank. If I had to guess once it’s up and running you could probably sell it for more than $650.